Peripheral tinits come in many shapes and sizes and are typically configured for use with a computer or in a networked environment comprising a plurality of computers. Examples of peripheral units include printers, such as laser printers, facsimile machines, copiers, and the like. Peripheral units typically have individual constituent components that themselves have a finite lifetime. These constituent components are referred to in this document as a "consumable". When the lifetimes of such components have expired, they must be replaced. Replacing used components often times means that the peripheral unit must go offline for a period of time so that the component can be replaced. This, in turn, can adversely affect productivity insofar as the peripheral unit cannot often be used during these down times. Further adversely affecting productivity is the fact that some components must be special ordered because they are not kept on hand. In addition, some components may require a specialized technician for proper installation. Thus, it has become desirable to ascertain, in advance, when particular components of a peripheral unit ,ire approaching the end of their useful lifetime. In this manner, users of the peripheral unit can take measures to ensure that appropriate replacement components arc on hand thereby reducing the peripheral unit's downtime.
There have been efforts in the past to develop systems and methods for ascertaining the useful lifetime of a component of a peripheral unit. In the context of peripheral units that comprise laser printers, an example includes a sensor for sensing the toner that is utilized by the laser printer. Exemplary systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5.862,431, 5,815,768, and 5,794,094, the disclosures of high are incorporated by reference herein. These and other systems typically monitor the toner. When the toner level reaches a predetermined, hardwired threshold, a notification can be generated that the toner is low. The notification can be manifest in the form of a printer panel indicator.
One problem that is associated with past systems and methods for detecting consumable lifetimes is that they are typically inflexible. Specifically, they do not enable a user or client to set their own thresholds for determining when a consumable component is approaching the end of its useful lifetime. There are many factors that can affect the lifetime of consumable component. For example, some components may have a history of lasting longer or shorter than the lifetimes that are indicated by the components' specifications. Additionally, the use frequency of the peripheral unit can most definitely affect the rate at Which the component wears out. Specifically, peripheral units that experience a higher rate of use have components that wear out quicker than peripheral units that experience a lower rate of use. In addition to factors that affect the lifetime of a consumable component, other factors can contribute to the down time that is experienced by the peripheral unit when a component wears out. Specifically, product lead times can adversely affect downtime. Specifically, if a particular component must be ordered for replacement, and it typically takes one day to order and receive a component, then there will most certainly be a down time of one day when the component expires.
This invention arose out of concerns associated with providing improved methods and systems for monitoring the lifetime of various components of peripheral units and generating notifications when one or more of the components is approaching the end of its useful lifetime.